New iPhones 8 and X and the effect they will have

The new iPhone X was unveiled last week with the expected amount of associated fanfare, offering ostensibly amazing features such as infrared facial recognition and wireless charging, among many other flashy tools that seemingly have the tech community buzzing.

However, some consultants have stressed that, at a starting price of around $1000, Apple are effectively placing the new smartphone as a luxury item, pushing the associated premiums of their top-of-the-line models to a new level which, they have warned, may cause a slow adoption rate for the undisputed king of the smartphone market. In effect, investors are of the belief that the new positioning of the iPhone X will yield considerably higher profits as they are aiming for the higher end of the social ladder, focusing considerable efforts on mature markets.

Fortunately for Apple, there are a slew of features relating to the new iOS 11, set to be released on the 19th of September, which Apple believe will fully justify the “luxury” model price-tag (1).

Some of the new operating features include:

· The automatic blocking of notifications when your device ascertains that you are driving

· A Siri overhaul that encompasses a more humanised tone and a powerful implementation of machine learning to a degree whereby Siri will make suggestions, such as queuing songs, based on the previous behaviour of the user

· An update to Apple Pay will allow users to send money to other users on the iOS 11 through a simple text message (2).

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Other intriguing new features include:

· The ability to converse with Siri via text

· The ability to scan QR codes with the camera

· A one-handed keyboard option

· The annotation of screenshots

· The ability to drag and drop files, photos and text from one app to another

The above denotes a myriad of improvements that should serve to justify the steep climb in price (3).

Concerns of privacy have also come to the fore with regards to the aforementioned FaceID feature, effectively making your face your passcode. Concerns about police or criminals being able to forcibly scan your face to unlock your phone have been raised. Furthermore, just as the Apple’s TouchID was hacked with fake fingerprints, many experts believe it is only a matter of time before this new piece of tech is also compromised (4).

All of the features of the iOS 11 (mandatory operating system on the new iPhones) have a core focus on increasing productivity in an attempt to not only bolster the initial market position of the iPhone X, but also lengthen the marginal utility of a slew of other Apple products, including the iPhone 6, 7 and 8, as well as the iPad Pro and the fifth generation iPads such as the iPad Air. (5)

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Amidst the consumer driven spectacle that normally accompany these perennial announcements, Google’s Android Oreo seems to be the winner in the eyes of neutral tech commentators due to a stronger underlying AI offering, singling out features such as being able to copy a Wi-Fi password by focusing the camera over it, the ability to shrink apps into thumbnails so that you are able to simultaneously complete many functions and password autofill function for Chrome. Other improvements include a longer battery life and an operating speed said to be twice as fast as its predecessor (6).

It’s important to note that the battle is far from over as both Samsung and Apple love to keep the surprises coming, especially closer to when the newest models are officially released. Will journalistic sentiment translate into Samsung gaining back some of the coveted smartphone market-share it so desperately desires? Only time will tell but one thing is for sure: the intense amount of competition between the competing developers can only mean positive outcomes for the end user as both Apple and Google push each other to deliver value in ways that will exponentially improve user experiences for many years to come.

Marco.

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Marco Tapia is the founder and Managing Director of PicNet, A leading provider of IT services and solutions to Australian businesses – Click here to learn more.

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About the Author

Marco Tapia

Managing Director, PicNet Pty Ltd. Marco has 30 years experience as Company Director, CIO, Business Technology Consultant and IT Project Manager, managing large and medium size IT functions for national and international corporations. He holds an MBA from the University of NSW, a BSc (Electronics), a Diploma in Systems Analysis and is a member of the Australian Institute of Company Directors.